An Impossible Case..?
When a man walks into Julia Starks office with a new case to solve, she cannot turn it down. It’s certainly intriguing, perhaps even impossible to solve. It’s not too long before Julia turns to ex husband, Sidney, for help and they find themselves at an extravagant and opulent estate where every single family member may well be mixed up in murder. Is this one mystery that Julia is destined not to solve? Clever and entertaining, a Swedish noir in whodunit style with an eclectic and well crafted cast and an atmospheric setting.

I really enjoyed this book, I liked our main character Julia, she was very intriguing and you knew that something had happened to her previously but you didn't instantly know what it was that had happened to her in the past. I liked how this was revealed bit by bit alongside the main storyline.

The main storyline was also very intriguing, PG had no idea if he had killed a man or not, it then turned out the man was his brother and he still had no idea! The family was full of secrets and there were times when I thought it could have been each of them. There were some parts that I had worked out but others came as a complete surprise! I thought the characters were well written and came across as an arguing family who didn't seem to like each other very much and often didn't have a good word to say about any of the others.

I really loved the writing style of this book and I really hope that maybe Julia and Sid can re-kindle their romance in a future book. However, we still don't know why the split up in the first place... that was one of the mysteries that wasn't revealed to us.

Crime thrillers set in the present day tend to rely heavily on DNA, CCTV and occasionally AI to solve crimes. It’s quite refreshing to be reacquainted with the old fashioned perception and intuition that detectives used to employ. Sherlock Holmes could famously tell a person’s occupation by their hands or tell tale signs on their clothes.

In I Will Find the Key, detective agency owner Julia Stark and her ex husband, a serving police officer, combine forces to solve the mystery. Julia is convinced it will take her just a few days Staying at the mansion involves dressing for dinner for lavish dinners and cocktails. All very Agatha Christie and reminiscent of the 1930s.

The family are not very forthcoming and it’s clear they don’t get on very well with each other. For a long time I was held in suspense as to whether Julia actually had the ability to solve the mystery. She admitted to being too impulsive with her opinions. I was frustrated by her obsession with her ex husband. The pair have several interviews with family members, but we are left in the dark about Julia's thought processes.

By the time the body is found, and Sidney calls the police, I’m convinced Julia's investigation will now be over, because surely her husband will need to brief the police and they will take over? Surprisingly this doesn’t seem to happen. Julia summons the family together and reveals her insights on family dynamics and history, and ultimately, who committed the crime. Her insight is jaw dropping. It was all a bit too bit late in the day though for me. I couldn't understand why the police weren't already involved. A patchy and inconsistent read.

All felt very odd for me this book. Very underdeveloped and the characters who are police joke about the case? It just didn't gel and I didn't care for the characters or the thin on the ground mystery.

This could have been a five star review because there was a lot I enjoyed but… the way PG and Monika reacted seemed inconsistent. Why take something so puzzling seriously then joke about the situation or at least speak too casually of it. It spoiled the feel of the book for me.

I absolutely loved the mystery and suspense of this book, it hooked me right away and it was quick and easy to read.